The field of the present invention relates to devices to remove a thrombus from an intraluminal passage. Intravenous devices are commonly used during thrombectomies to remove a thrombus from blocking blood flow through an intraluminal passage. Frequently, an aspirator is brought to the blockage area to collect the thrombus by suction. However, aspirator catheters typically have a large cross-section and may be difficult to use in narrow intraluminal passages, particularly within the brain.
In such procedures, it is desirable to retrieve the thrombus or embolism and bring it to a wider area of the intraluminal passage for removal by an aspirator catheter. Several devices exist to accomplish this purpose, such as a wire within a catheter which deploys into a coil. However, these devices are difficult to maneuver to the desired intraluminal passage because of the tortuous angles within such area of vasculature and because the devices cannot be adequately steered to the site of the thrombus. Additionally, often the thrombus cannot be adequately contained within the device during retraction. If the thrombus fragments or escapes from the device during retraction, the thrombus or a portion of the thrombus may cause a blockage elsewhere in the vasculature causing significant harm to the patient.
It is desirable for a clot retrieval device to exist which has a small cross-sectional profile which can also be adequately steered to the clot within narrow intraluminal passages. Furthermore, it is desirable that such a device be capable of adequately capturing and containing the clot during retraction through the intraluminal passage.